“I know, right?” Maddie says proudly.
I glance at Mason, and he’s too busy staring past me, not paying attention to anything that’s being said. Liam elbows him. “Right?”
“Oh, yeah. Great job,” he says dryly, and even though I want to junk punch him, I somehow refrain.
“Are you hungry?” Maddie asks, interrupting the awkward tension streaming between Mason and me. I’m not sure why or how it got to this point, but it’s annoying as hell.
“Actually, I could use something to drink,” I admit, feeling parched.
“They’ve got a daiquiri truck over there.” Maddie points. “You could get me and you both one!”
“Not happening,” I tell her, looping my arm through hers.
“One drink isn’t going to get me drunk,” she states. Then she adds, “Well, it could, I guess. I’d probably be a lightweight.” She giggles, then leans in and whispers, “You did really good today.”
“Thanks,” I say with a smile. Liam is walking on the other side of me, and Mason is beside him. Liam’s too busy texting someone to pay any attention to us.
“Mason was impressed. I know he was,” she adds, only loud enough for me to hear.
I shrug, pretending not to care. I honestly don’t need his approval. I know I’m good.
“But I could really use a daiquiri,” she says. “Want to get me one, Liam?”
He looks up from his phone. “Huh?”
I shake my head as we walk over toward the food trucks, and I buy a bottle of water and a burrito. The four of us find an open picnic table and sit.
“What did she say?” Mason asks Liam, and I try not to pay attention, but it piques my interest.
“We’ll talk about it later,” he says quietly, and I know it’s something he doesn’t want any of us to hear but leave it to Maddie to ask anyway.
“Who?”
Mason glances at her. “Our roommate. She’s moving out.”
“Roommate?” Maddie and I ask in unison.
They both chuckle. “Yeah. Well, only for a little while longer. She’s moving out soon.”
Maddie’s eyes are the size of saucers, and I try to hold back my shock. I’ve been over to their house dozens of times, and I’ve never run into anyone other than them, and definitely not a woman. I like to consider myself an observant person too, but there’s no sign of a female living with them, not even a hint of it. I have so many questions right now, but I let Maddie take the lead. I really love having her around because the lack of filter makes it easier to get details out of them.
“How long has she lived with you?” she asks. “How come we’ve never met her?”
Liam focuses on his burrito as Mason speaks up. “She’s busy. Works a lot,” he offers simply.
I glance at him, and his eyes linger on me for a moment. There are so many unspoken words streaming between us, and I need to know what his damn problem is lately. Maddie takes the focus away.
“This is weird. Does anyone else think this is weird?” she asks, but no one answers.
“I need a beer.” Mason stands, then walks away to fetch one.
“Sorry about him,” Liam says when he’s out of earshot. “He’s in a mood.”
“Oh, that’s what it is? Shoulda probably left Mr. Party Foul at home.” I grunt with an eyebrow popped. Liam chuckles and stuffs his face.
After Mason returns and we’ve finished eating, I put my violin in the car, and we decide to find a spot while we wait for the fireworks to begin.
Liam places the blanket he brought on the ground, and Maddie and I plop down. Mason sits on the other side of me, shockingly. Liam is on the end, focused back on his phone.
Maddie leans back on the blanket. “Remember when we’d watch the fireworks show at home?”
I smile and think about Lennon. “Yeah. Sneaking up to our secret spot to get the best view.”
“Yep. You know how many boys I’ve kissed up there?” She giggles, the corner of her lips tilting up devilishly. We weren’t allowed to date, but that didn’t mean Maddie didn’t sneak around.
“I can only imagine,” I truthfully say.
Mason’s arm brushes against mine, and my body buzzes. I glance over at him and wonder if he felt what I did. Thankfully, the fireworks begin and pull my attention to the sky, though I still think about that night we met. If he weren’t friends with Brandon, and if Lennon weren’t my sister, maybe things between us would’ve been different. He’s never given me a real explanation as to why he’s not relationship material, and after this amount of time, I don’t expect one. It doesn’t mean I can just forget about what happened between us, though I’m sure he wishes I would. To me, it was magical, unforgettable, and even if he doesn’t want to admit it, the electricity still streams between us.